MAY 14TH (SATURDAY 5/14)(AFTER SCHOOL)

"Mmmmmm, it's over!", Ann grinned. It was after our final exam, and everyone of us gathered up at the train station. I was extremely tired from the last exam that I just looked like I just walked out of my coffin.

"It's over...", Ryuji groaned.

"It's oveeeeer...", I grumbled.

"How 'bout you...?", Ryuji asked Akira, who seemed calm.

"I'm feeling confident.", Akira smiled.

"You traitor!", Ryuji growled. I rolled my eyes at his dilemma, but I didn't comment. "Anyways, can we stop talkin' about the exams? Like it or not, they're gonna come back graded next week. Rather than focus on stuff that's over with...", Ryuji pulled out his phone from his pocket and began scrolling.

"What're you looking at?", Ann asked.

"The usual site.", Ryuji showed us the Phantom Aficionado Website, with the little comments that were on the forums. "...It's no use. There ain't any useful info. The number of posts are gettin' less and less too..", Ryuji sighed. Morgana popped out of Akira's bag with a scowl.

"I am not letting this end as a one-hit wonder, OK?"

"There's no point in getting antsy though. I know! Why don't we go eat lunch somewhere? We still have some money left over from the other day.", Ann suggested.

"I want sushi then! Or domestic-raised eel!", Ryuji ordered with a huge grin on his face.

"We don't have THAT much money left. Oh right. There are those tickets to Madarame's exhibit! ... Wait, that's tomorrow.", Ann sighed.

"Don't tell me. Was it love at first sight with that Yusuke guy...?", Morgana gasped.

"Stop simping, Morgana.", I mumbled.

"It's not like that.", Ann rolled her eyes.

"O-Of course not.", Morgana laughed, relief in his voice.

"When I was watching that special on TV, his artwork was pretty nice. Plus, we've got free tickets. Besides, this could also be related to what we heard in Mementos.", Ann whispered the last part with narrowed eyes.

She's right, it wouldn't hurt to look into it.

"... Madarame, was it?", Ryuji asked.

"I'm curious too, to be honest.", Akira nodded along with Ann.

"Hrmm... That aside, what should I do about the other three tickets? Want to go appreciate some fine arts for once?", Ann asked us with a teasing tone.

"Fine arts, huh...", Ryuji mumbled, not liking the idea.

"I suggest, we should all go together! Appreciating the fine arts builds character. A phantom thief who can't identify an original is lame.", Morgana suggested.

"I don't mind going.", I shrugged.

"Well, if everyone's going...", Ryuji sighed.

"It's settled then!", Ann grinned.

"I'm looking forward to it.", Akira smiled.

"Nerd.", I smirked.

"Shut it...", Akira pouted.

"Just the phrase "going to an art exhibit" sounds kinda mature. Let's meet at the exhibit entrance tomorrow.", Ann confirmed. We all went our separate ways, with Akira and I going back to the café for the day.

MAY 14TH (SATURDAY 5/14)(EVENING)

Akira and I made it back home, and were lazing around his room. Ann suddenly texted us in the group chat.

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Red Kitty🐱💃💋: So I keep thinking about what Nakanohara said...

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: Could he have been talking about the famous artist Madarame?

🤓The Ultimate Bro🤓: That sounds about right.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Seconded.

You: I think so too.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: Great. The name really stood out to me...

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Yeah I mean, you guys ever heard of someone else called Madarame?

You: I personally never heard of someone with that kind of name. Then again, it might be known somewhere... I need to dig deeper.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: It's really not common at all.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: If what we heard is true, Kitagawa-kun is studying under a corrupt teacher.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: You mean a teacher who treats people like tools.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: Kitagawa-kun's life is probably terrible...

Troublemaker Blondie💀: We gotta look into this.

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I turned off my phone and went up to my room. I pulled out my notebook and laptop and looked up Madarame. The name pulled up the old man we saw earlier in the car, showing off multiple styles of artwork that were impressive to say the least. I kept digging, but all I saw was nothing but praise. Reporters, critiques, news articles written by big corporations... Nothing suspicious came up. 

Hmm... I don't know where else to check. I guess I need to look around in the real world.

I sighed and flopped back into my bed and ultimately fell asleep.

MAY 15TH (SUNDAY 5/14)(DAYTIME)

(OUTFIT)

We all arrived at the museum in the morning, finding that many people came early, presumably to get a peek at the art before anyone else.

"So crowded...", Morgana mumbled, peeking out of Akira's bag.

"It'll be a pain in the a*s if someone sees you, so don't stick your head out too much, all right?", Ryuji instructed Morgana. Morgana huffed and jumped back into the bag, just as Kitagawa-kun came to us.

"You came!", Kitagawa-kun seemed happy to see Ann, who was a bit surprised.

"Um... yeah.", Ann shrugged. Kitagawa-kun looked at the rest of us three and scowled.

"You really came."

"What'd you expect when you left us those tickets!?", Ryuji grumbled.

"We're here to appreciate the fine arts, believe it or not...", I shrugged at Kitagawa-kun's disapproving look.

"Make sure that you don't get in the way of the other visitors. Come now, I will show you around. I'd like to speak more about the picture I'd like to draw too.", Kitagawa-kun explained to Ann as he pointed towards a few beautiful pieces.

"Well, see you guys later.", Ann waved and left us alone.

"Will Lady Ann be all right!? What if he drags her behind some painting and tries something funny?", Morgana muttered in fear.

"I'll kill him.", I shrugged.

"I told you not to come out!", Ryuji hissed at Morgana, who quickly went back into Akira's bag. "Are we really gonna "appreciate" the fine arts? Can't we just go home?"

"We came here to learn about Madarame.", Akira explained.

"I guess we should do a quick pass through it once... Uh... Which way are we supposed to start?", Ryuji muttered as we began to walk around. We stopped in front of the self portrait of Madarame, where said man was being interviewed. "Hm? It's that old man from the other day."

"We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination. You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that it all stems from one person... Where in the world does all your imagination come from?", the interviewer asked.

That is what I'd like to know...

We got a bit closer to hear Madarame better, while not getting in the way of the interview.

"Well... It is rather difficult to put into words... They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in a spring.", Madarame explained.

That sounds like bullsh*t poetry...

"Naturally, you say?", the interviewer nodded along.

"What's important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame. My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty.", Madarame pointed out.

"... A shack?", Ryuji mumbled.

"Something wrong with what he said...?", I asked.

"I... Never mind.", Ryuji shrugged.

"I see... So, the act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty. Still, to think we could hear the word "shack" coming from the great artist Madarame.", the interviewer laughed.

"You would understand if you saw it. Hahahaha...", Madarame chuckled.

"Wasn't the word "shack" something...", Ryuji was cut off by a few citizens seeing Madarame.

"Madarame-san is actually here!?"

"Over there!"

"I'm so glad I came on opening day!", the more people shouted, the more they crowded around us. I could barely hear the rest of the crew speak.

This is one of the many reasons I hate going to events...

I wiggled my way out of the crowd to find myself at the back of the museum, where I saw Kitagawa-kun and Ann talking with one another. I pulled out my recorder in secret to record their conversation.

(Ann – Yusuke -- Madarame)

"I didn't know there were so many types of Japanese art."

"Usually one concentrates on their own style. However, Sensei creates all this by himself. He's special.", Madarame came to Kitagawa-kun soon after.

"There you are Yusuke."

"Sensei!"

"Ah, the girl from yesterday. Are you enjoying the exhibit?"

"I don't know how to put it into words... but it's really amazing."

"You're sensing something from the artwork... That alone is enough to give us artists satisfaction. I hope this becomes a wonderful piece, Yusuke. Well then, if you'll excuse me.", Madarame turned away to speak with a few other people.

"You'd imagine artists would be difficult to approach... but he seems really friendly."

"Indeed.", Kitagawa-kun nodded. Ann then turned to a painting of a sort of landscape, her eyes almost sparkling.

"Oh, this is it – the painting I wanted to see in person."

"... This one?", Kitagawa-kun mumbled, almost looking a bit surprised.

"I guess it's the painter's anger? I'm not sure, but I sense this... strong frustration from it. To think such a cheerful and gentlemanly person could make such a piece..."

"......", Kitagawa-kun was silent, and he looked a little... pained.

Odd...

"Something wrong?"

"Don't mind me. There are better pieces than... this one. Come now, this way!", Kitagawa-kun led Ann away from the painting.

"H-Hey...!", Ann mumbled as she was dragged away. I slowly walked away from the crowd towards the painting. I turned off the recording and analyzed the painting.

It's strange how all the paintings seem so different...

In what way?

The style, the categorization, the brush strokes... It's all different. Don't artists have a core style, no matter how different their piece is from another?

That boy seemed to not appreciate Carmen's compliment...

Carmen...? You mean Ann?

I feel more connected with your comrades Personas. It is just a preference...

Oh. Okay then, call them what you like. Back to what you were saying... Kitagawa-kun almost looked frustrated... Frustrated... Like what Ann said about the painting...

I took a photo of the painting secretly and swiftly left to meet up near the entrance of the train station. Ryuji, Akira, and Morgana were already there. I walked up to them with a wave.

"Hey.", I mumbled.

"Where were you? You disappeared when we got ambushed...", Akira asked, looking worried.

"I was looking into Madarame while you guys ran away.", I shrugged. Akira sighed and flicked my forehead, making me let out a tiny "Ow...!"

"Call me next time so I don't worry.", Akira scolded.

"I'm not a kid, Akira. Don't waste your time worrying about me.", I sighed. Ryuji suddenly groaned while rubbing his rib.

"That old lady totally elbowed me... But thanks to that, I remember now."

"Remembered what?", I asked.

"Well, lemme get to it. It's about a post online... Here, look at this.", Ryuji was about to show us a post, but Ann's angry voice took our attention away from it.

"Why'd you leave without me!?"

"You got it all wrong; we got dragged into this huge crowd and-- ... Eh, anyways. You gotta look at this too. This post might be about Madarame.", Ryuji explained.

"What's it say?", Ann asked.

""A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV." ", Ryuji read.

"Plagiarizing!?", Ann gasped.

It makes sense why I felt like all the pieces are different... But I just thought it was a hunch.

"I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, but hearing "shack" and "Madarame" triggered it. "His treatment of the pupils who live with his is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog..."", Ryuji stopped there.

"Abuse on top of plagiarism, hm...?", Morgana tsked.

"If this is real, it'll be a huge scandal.", Ryuji grinned.

"Not to mention a threat to the careers of whoever studies under Madarame.", I pointed out.

"I wonder if Kitagawa-kun posted this. I mean, he IS a pupil of his.", Ann muttered.

"Who knows? It's anonymous and all...", Ryuji sighed.

"In that case... It's possible the Madarame we heard about in Mementos is referring to the same one.", Morgana hypothesized.

"A man like that doing such a thing...?", Ann looked a little doubtful.

"You never know what a person is like on the inside, Ann. Never forget that, or else it'll hurt you later.", I advised.

"Got it... I wonder if we can ask that Shadow from earlier about this. Oh. Actually, we just need to talk to him in reality.", Ann suggested.

"And how do we go about that? Are we gonna explain it all, startin' with Mementos?", Ryuji asked.

"Besides, if we make a move out in the open, there's the possibility that Madarame will find out.", Morgana chimed in.

"Oh... Yeah, right...", Ann sighed.

"Hey, what do you think about Madarame? Doesn't he seem suspicious?", Ryuji asked Akira.

"He is suspicious to me. I think we should look into him more.", Akira suggested.

"I know, right? This all fits way too well to just be a coincidence. If this post is legit, ain't this the kinda target we've been waitin' for?", Ryuji grinned.

"Well, yeah, but... Is it really true...?", Ann mumbled.

"By the way, what'd you do about the whole modeling thing?", Ryuji asked.

"Kitagawa-kun gave me his contact info. And the address to his sensei's atelier.", Ann revealed.

"He said he lives there, right? Perfect timing. Let's try goin' tomorrow. We're off to Madarame's house right after school!", Ryuji suggested.

"Huh? You want me to model tomorrow!? This is too sudden...", Ann gasped.

"What? We're just gonna talk to Kitagawa.", Ryuji calmed Ann down.

"Oh, that's what you meant...", Ann chuckled. I sighed and waved everyone goodbye as Akira and I went back to the café for the day.